Private James Cassidy

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Private James Cassidy

2nd Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Service No: 7370

1236

1

4

0

40

Click here for a frameable A4 print

Personal details

Family Information

Eldest son of Patrick and Ann (Annie) Murphy Cassidy of 13c Buchanan St, Coatbridge who arrived in Coatbridge around 1870 from Ireland. From the 1901 Census - Address - 7 Coatbank St, Coatbridge - Patrick Cassidy aged 50, Ann Cassidy aged 46, Mary Cassidy aged 13, Sarah Cassidy aged 11, James Cassidy aged 8, Edward Cassidy aged 6. James' Pension was awarded to his mother Annie on the 01/04/1919.

Born / Resided

2 Roman Rd, Motherwell / 13c Buchanan St, Coatbridge.

Died

Killed in Action on the 10/03/1915 at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle

Enlisted

Hamilton 1914 previously Hamilton Barracks 1899

Employed

Chemical Mixer, Langloan Chemical Works, Coatbridge / Reservist.

Age

32 / DOB - 04/04/1882

Buried / Remembered

Le Touret Memorial (Panel 15 and 16), Pas de Calais, France.

Cemetery / Memorial Information

The Le Touret Memorial commemorates over 13,400 British soldiers who were killed in this sector of the Western Front from the beginning of October 1914 to the eve of the Battle of Loos in late September 1915 and who have no known grave. Almost all of the men commemorated on the Memorial served with regular or territorial regiments from across the United Kingdom and were killed in actions that took place along a section of the front line that stretched from Estaires in the north to Grenay in the south. This part of the Western Front was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the first year of the war, including the battles of La Bassée (10 October – 2 November 1914), Neuve Chapelle (10 – 12 March 1915), Aubers Ridge (9 – 10 May 1915), and Festubert (15 – 25 May 1915). Soldiers serving with Indian and Canadian units who were killed in this sector in 1914 and 1915 whose remains were never identified are commemorated on the Neuve Chapelle and Vimy memorials, while those who fell during the northern pincer attack at the Battle of Aubers Ridge are commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial.

Additional Information

James and the Battalion arrived in Le Havre on the 05/11/1914 and were part of the 23rd Brigade, 8th Division. James was Killed in Action at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle : 10th – 13th March 1915 : The British First Army mounts first offensive on large scale: costly in terms of casualties but results in capture of Neuve Chapelle. Localised operations continue afterwards. Neuve Chapelle was the first large scale organised attack undertaken by the British Army during the war. It followed the miserable winter operations of 1914 - 15. More Divisions had now arrived in France and the British Expeditionary Force was now split into two Armies. Neuve Chapelle was undertaken by Sir Douglas Haig’s First Army, while subsequent actions were fought by Sir Herbert Smith-Dorrien’s Second Army. The 25th and 23rd Brigades of the 8th Division made good progress against the village. There were delays in sending further orders and reinforcements forward, but by nightfall the village had been captured, and the advanced units were in places as far forward as the Layes brook. During the night the Germans reinforced their second line in front of the Bois de Biez, and all further attempts over the next few days brought little material success. SEE PHOTOS x 12 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY 1st - 20th MARCH 1915. ALSO SEE PHOTOS x 20 FOR ADDITIONS TO THE WAR DIARY. James was one of 149 members of his Battalion (not including Officers) who fell on the opening day of the Battle of Neuve Chappelle on the 10/03/1915. The casualties for the Battalion from War Diary (11) from the 10th to 14th March 1915 - 13 Officers Killed, 9 Officers Wounded, 112 Other Ranks Killed, 314 Wounded and 21 Missing. See photos for James' Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clipping, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Le Touret Memorial Panel List, his name on the Le Touret Memorial, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Cap Badge and James' Pension Records x 4. Finally, see photos for a Poppy placed at James' name on the Le Touret Memorial by myself in July 2023.

Photos

War Diaries

The battalion War Diary is available on the National Archives website.

Creative Commons License

We have made this information and the images available under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement: © coatbridgeandthegreatwar.com

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